Short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides enhances intestinal barrier function by attenuating mucosa inflammation and altering colonic microbiota composition of weaning piglets

Abstract

Short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) exert beneficial effects on growth performance and immune function of piglets. However, the effects of scFOS on intestinal integrity of piglets remain to be understood. This study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of scFOS on the intestinal barrier function of piglets. A total of 16 castrated male piglets weaned at 28 d were randomly allocated into 1 of 2 dietary treatments (n = 8): a control diet (CON) or a scFOS-supplemented diet (4 g/kg scFOS substituted the same amount of maize in CON). The experiment lasted 28 d. The average daily scFOS intake of treated group was 1.94 g. Results showed that scFOS consumption increased average daily gain and decreased feed to gain ratio and diarrhoea index (p < .05). scFOS-fed piglets had lower serum D-lactate, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentrations than CON-fed piglets (p < .05). scFOS consumption increased intestinal expression of zona occludens 1 (ZO1), occluding (OCLN) and claudin 1 (CLDN1) (p < .05). scFOS supplementation down-regulated IL-1β expression in jejunal mucosa and IL-6 expression in ileal mucosa (p < .05). scFOS-fed piglets had higher acetic acid level in colonic chyme than their counterparts (p < .05). scFOS consumption increased relative abundances of Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus spp., Prevotella spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. in colonic chyme (p < .05). In conclusion, post-weaning scFOS consumption improved performance and intestinal integrity of piglets by suppressing mucosal inflammation, increasing production of short-chain fatty acids and modulating microbiota composition in the hindgut.

Highlights

• Dietary supplementation of 4 g/kg short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) improved growth performance of weaning piglets.

• Dietary scFOS inclusion enhanced gut integrity and ameliorated intestinal inflammatory response.

• scFOS consumption resulted in increased short-chain fatty acids production and altered microbiota composition in the hindgut of piglets.

Keywords:

• Short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides
• intestinal integrity
• inflammation
• microbiota
• weaning piglets

Disclosure statement

We certify that there is no conflict of interest with any financial organisation regarding the material discussed in the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant [31601946] and Longshan Academic Talent Research Supporting Programme of SWUST under Grant [17LZX671 and 18LZX661].